Ikeda Nagaoki historic picture taken in 1864 in front of the great sphinx of Giza. During their tragic voyage to Europe, Ikeda Nagaoki and his delegation stopped for a brief stay and took a splendid tourist picture. A group of Japanese samurai can be seen standing in front of the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt in this historical photograph of 1864. Ikeda and his crew headed off on a French cruiser and stopped at Shanghai, India, and Cairo. They stopped over in Egypt and spent some time exploring the Great Pyramids of Giza. Antonio Beato, the photographer, took the delegation’s photo here, at the base of the Sphinx.
The Second Japanese Embassy to Europe, also known as the Ikeda Mission, is shown in the picture. The military leaders of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603–1867), who dominated feudal Japan, sent local governor Ikeda Nagaoki to Europe in 1864 to try and resolve a heated dispute over the port of Yokohama. The group sailed across the Mediterranean and eventually arrived in France after passing via Egypt by train. Ikeda met with the French, but the mission collapsed in complete failure when their requests to close the port of Yokohama were flatly rebuffed. Japan was ultimately compelled to give up and accept.
The ancient Egyptian monument, the European camera, and the traditional Japanese clothing in this startling picture all look out of place. It throws off our perception of history. Even though this combination could come as a surprise, the 160-year-old snapshot captures a crucial period in the history of both Japan and the globalized world.
The 36-man delegation was dressed in traditional Samurai garb and carried two swords, an honor only bestowed upon the educated warrior class of Japan known as the samurai, who formerly held great political influence.
Japan was ultimately compelled to give up and accept. The Japanese initiated the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The island welcomed Westernization once the Tokugawa Shogunate was overthrown, which sparked a rapid modernization, industrialization, and urbanization process. Japan maintained its identity in the face of rapid social transformation.
While maintaining a strong sense of tradition and culture, Japan developed into an imperial superpower that began to challenge the West. The Ikeda Mission stood at the base of the Sphinx in 1864, and although they may not have realized it at the time, they were at the cutting edge of Japan’s modern history, standing between the world’s pre-modern past and its uncertain modern future.
Japan faced an existential crossroads during the second half of the 19th century. Although, the major portions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas had been colonized by Europeans,. Since the 17th century, Japan has been enforcing a stringent isolationist policy known as sakoku, which sought to wall off the island from outsiders to preserve its culture. Christianity was outright prohibited as part of this stance, and their primary trading partners were the Dutch and Chinese.
Even though colonialism did not entirely take over Japan at that time, it was becoming increasingly clear that their nation was about to undergo transformation. With a fleet of American battleships, US Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Yokohama in 1853 and requested that Japan open its ports to foreign trade. They reluctantly consented, and Yokohama, a maritime town, soon rose to prominence as a center of international trade.
Naturally, anti-foreign sentiment grew as Japan became more concerned about the increasing influence of foreigners in their nation. Emperor Kōmei promoted the proclamation “Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians” in 1863. As part of the effort to regain authority, Ikeda was told to go to France and insist that Yokohama’s open-port status be discontinued.
The Japanese initiated the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The island welcomed Westernization once the Tokugawa Shogunate was overthrown, which sparked a rapid modernization, industrialization, and urbanization process. Japan maintained its identity in the face of rapid social transformation. While maintaining a strong sense of tradition and culture, Japan developed into an imperial superpower that began to challenge the West.
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